Partnering with your veterinarian and, when possible, an oncologist, is crucial for successful cancer treatment. Early detection of cancer also increases the chances of successful treatment. If you have any questions about canine cancer, consult your veterinarian or contact Blue Oasis Pet Hospital.

Cancer treatment in dogs is not necessarily painful. While surgery and IV treatments can induce pain or discomfort, your veterinarian will work with you and potentially a pain management specialist to provide appropriate pain management for your dog. The medications or treatments themselves are not known to be painful.

The frequency of treatments depends on the type of cancer and the specific treatment plan. Treatment cycles can vary from once a week to every three to four weeks. It is important to follow the recommendations of your veterinarian or oncologist to ensure the best outcome for your dog.

Yes, medications can be used to treat dog cancer. There are many different options on the market, some of which are borrowed from human cancer treatments. Newer treatments are targeting specific cancer types and their genomes, there is a company called FidoCure, which partners with oncologists to find more targeted medications for your dog's cancer. Diet modifications may also be recommended by your veterinarian as part of your dog's overall treatment plan.

The treatment for cancer in dogs depends on the type of cancer your dog has. Surgical removal is often the best option if the tumor is accessible, such as a lump on the skin or an internal organ like the spleen. In cases where the tumor is in a difficult location or is very large, radiation may be used to shrink the tumor before surgical removal. Other treatments include oral and IV injectable chemotherapy medications.

Not necessarily. Ticks do not usually jump from one pet to another. However, if one pet has ticks, it indicates that ticks are present in the environment, so it is more likely that other pets may also come into contact with ticks. Infestations with ticks are rare unless there is a large number of them in the environment right outside your home.

If you have further questions about ticks on your dog, how to prevent them, or the diseases they transmit, it is recommended to consult with your veterinarian or contact a local pet hospital like Blue Oasis Pet Hospital.

Tick bites may appear as an inflammatory nodule, which can be raised, hard, and firm. If a tick's head gets detached and remains in the skin, it can cause a foreign body reaction, leading to inflammation and a small nodule. However, it may be difficult to identify a tick bite since it could resemble any other exposure or irritation on the dog's skin.

Yes, there is a test to diagnose tick-borne diseases. In middle Tennessee, for example, about 9% of the tests run on pets for heartworm and tick-borne diseases come back positive for tick-borne diseases. The most common tick-borne disease in Tennessee is Ehrlichia, but Lyme disease is occasionally seen as well.

Veterinarians find ticks on dogs similarly to how pet parents do. They move the dog's hair coat aside, feel along the hair coat, and check for any lumps or bumps. However, finding smaller ticks, such as nymphs, can be more challenging since they are about the size of a poppy seed and often go unrecognized. Ticks are parasites that jump on, get a blood meal, and then fall off, making them difficult to find at times.